A Texas Congressman, Lamar Smith, is wanting to pass a bill creating a national Media Fairness Caucus. He, and some of his (so-called) Conservative cronies have had it with the Free-wheelin’ American Free Press. They want a Group of Chosen Few to decide what the Public hears and sees when it comes to The News.

Yes, this is what happens within Nation’s undergoing Change. Folks, like Mr. Smith, get nervous, antsy, and petulant. Fear makes them trigger-happy and short-fused. They erupt and explode like little grenades from Time to Time. They don’t think things (like Our Constitutional Rights) through. They go-off half cocked!

Stressed out, frazzled, pushed to the Wall. Folks, in general, Feel their only recourse is exerting Force upon the Situation making them uncomfortable. Of course, it’s always their own brand of Force. They mostly wrangle, connive, deceive, or ferociously fight for Control. Control and Power. Why? They’re supposed to make you Feel Better – Safer.

Politicians, the Bankers, The Corporate Kings and Queens and their well paid Lawyers will use Laws and New Bills to take Control of what they consider to be a threatening, Control sucking, or volatile Situation. They’ll almost always try and make sure that they get their Money - their Pay-off - their Power - their Control - their Way. For Better or for Worse. They Will Rule the Day!

What about the rest of us silly, idiotic Peons? We’ve been well trained. We’ve gotten used to ‘going along to get along’. We’re busy making a Living. So busy, that We don’t always pay attention to things going on around us the way We should. So, when elected leaders, like Lamar Smith, say, “I do not like what I do and don’t hear in The News. We need more Control over the unthinking Masses and those Liberal-Minded Airheads called Reporters. We need to form a McCarthyistic Caucus to help show them all The Light. We need a Caucus of Chosen Few to tell them what they can and cannot say (or Do) to the American Public - to the World as a Whole. We need to hobble those Wild-Eyed Liberal News Reporters and Journalists.” (The assumption being that they are all Wild-eyed. That they are all Liberal. Is Liberal a curse word? A cursed Being?). “We Chosen Few of the Media Fairness Caucus (alias Malfeasant Fight for Ultimate Control) must make them See things Our way!”

“That’s right! We’ll make sure that these rubber-necked Liberal Freaks do things Our way! Yes, Sir! It’s Our way or the highway! Free Speech and Free Press are overrated! They have run amuck! We gotta get Control of this runaway herd of mangy Free Thinkers. Round ‘em up, and Move ‘em out!”

“We’ll Change the Laws! We’ll buy up the Radio, Computer and Boob Tube Air Ways! They’ll belong to us - the Media Fairness Caucus! We’ll define what’s Fair - what’s Right for the Mind-Numbed Masses! We’ll Shape and Mold the National and Global Reality into what we want to Create! The Way we want things to Be!”

Indeed Leah, the escape from freedom (E.Fromm wrote a book on the subject)begins with a tiny little, even legal, step: like electing Hitler to become Chancellor of Germany, or perhaps abstaining from voting since it is inconsequential. We know the rest of the sad story; and unfortunately those who don't know history are condemned to repeat it...

Leah Sellers

2009-06-25 02:24:24

Hello Brother emanuel,
You (and Mr Fromm) are so right, Sir.
That's one of the many reasons I chose to make History one of my majors, and incorporate its myriad of lessons into my classroom
lesson plans - ha !